Of a piece

Of a piece
Piece Piece, n. [OE. pece, F. pi[`e]ce, LL. pecia, petia, petium, probably of Celtic origin; cf. W. peth a thing, a part, portion, a little, Armor. pez, Gael. & Ir. cuid part, share. Cf. {Petty}.] 1. A fragment or part of anything separated from the whole, in any manner, as by cutting, splitting, breaking, or tearing; a part; a portion; as, a piece of sugar; to break in pieces. [1913 Webster]

Bring it out piece by piece. --Ezek. xxiv. 6. [1913 Webster]

2. A definite portion or quantity, as of goods or work; as, a piece of broadcloth; a piece of wall paper. [1913 Webster]

3. Any one thing conceived of as apart from other things of the same kind; an individual article; a distinct single effort of a series; a definite performance; especially: (a) A literary or artistic composition; as, a piece of poetry, music, or statuary. (b) A musket, gun, or cannon; as, a battery of six pieces; a following piece. (c) A coin; as, a sixpenny piece; -- formerly applied specifically to an English gold coin worth 22 shillings. (d) A fact; an item; as, a piece of news; a piece of knowledge. [1913 Webster]

4. An individual; -- applied to a person as being of a certain nature or quality; often, but not always, used slightingly or in contempt. ``If I had not been a piece of a logician before I came to him.'' --Sir P. Sidney. [1913 Webster]

Thy mother was a piece of virtue. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

His own spirit is as unsettled a piece as there is in all the world. --Coleridge. [1913 Webster] [1913 Webster]

5. (Chess) One of the superior men, distinguished from a pawn. [1913 Webster]

6. A castle; a fortified building. [Obs.] --Spenser. [1913 Webster]

{Of a piece}, of the same sort, as if taken from the same whole; like; -- sometimes followed by with. --Dryden.

{Piece of eight}, the Spanish piaster, formerly divided into eight reals.

{To give a piece of one's mind to}, to speak plainly, bluntly, or severely to (another). --Thackeray.

{Piece broker}, one who buys shreds and remnants of cloth to sell again.

{Piece goods}, goods usually sold by pieces or fixed portions, as shirtings, calicoes, sheetings, and the like. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • pièce — [ pjɛs ] n. f. • 1080; lat. médiév. petia, d o. gaul. °pettia I ♦ Partie séparée (brisée, déchirée) d un tout. ⇒ fragment, morceau. « un cristal, jeté violemment sur le sol et qui y volait en mille pièces » (Barbey). Mettre en pièces qqch., le… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

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  • piece — PIECE. sub. f. Partie, portion, morceau d un tout. Une piece de pain. une piece de viande, une piece de bois. on distribuoit par jour aux troupes tant de pieces de viande. & tant de pieces de bois. un acroc luy a emporté une piece de son habit.… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

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  • piece — Piece, signifie une partie separée de quelque chose entiere, comme une piece de pain, une piece de fromage, Segmen. Il signifie aussi non une partie, ains toute la piece entiere, comme quand nous disons une piece de toile, de drap, de velours, de …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

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  • Piece — Piece, n. [OE. pece, F. pi[ e]ce, LL. pecia, petia, petium, probably of Celtic origin; cf. W. peth a thing, a part, portion, a little, Armor. pez, Gael. & Ir. cuid part, share. Cf. {Petty}.] 1. A fragment or part of anything separated from the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Piece broker — Piece Piece, n. [OE. pece, F. pi[ e]ce, LL. pecia, petia, petium, probably of Celtic origin; cf. W. peth a thing, a part, portion, a little, Armor. pez, Gael. & Ir. cuid part, share. Cf. {Petty}.] 1. A fragment or part of anything separated from… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Piece goods — Piece Piece, n. [OE. pece, F. pi[ e]ce, LL. pecia, petia, petium, probably of Celtic origin; cf. W. peth a thing, a part, portion, a little, Armor. pez, Gael. & Ir. cuid part, share. Cf. {Petty}.] 1. A fragment or part of anything separated from… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Piece of eight — Piece Piece, n. [OE. pece, F. pi[ e]ce, LL. pecia, petia, petium, probably of Celtic origin; cf. W. peth a thing, a part, portion, a little, Armor. pez, Gael. & Ir. cuid part, share. Cf. {Petty}.] 1. A fragment or part of anything separated from… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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